A Tale of Two Winglies
by Sors
Summary: The fighting is over and Meru is back in Donau, as she seeks out her own answers she discovers that their is someone to share her path with. Guaraha/Meru. Chapter 7 (Denningrad). R
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Dragoon or any other ideas. 

Italics is thought, bold is a flashback.

A Tale of Two Winglies

Chapter one - A moment of home

Meru sat down at the far end of the bar. The place hadn't changed much since she had left. In fact the only thing that had changed was two of the employees. A new bartender and a new dancer that had taken her place. She silently wondered how business had picked up since the gang had been kicked out.

"What would you like to drink miss?" Asked the new bartender with red blond hair.

"Um... No not really, I kinda wanted to see that owner, I worked for him a while back. You know, just visiting and all." She gave him a sly wink and smirk.

"All right, he's just upstairs I'll send Septia to get him."

"Thank ya!" She said as he went back up to the dance floor and whispered something in Septia's ear. She nodded, looked over at Meru then hurried up the steps.

With in a few minutes the owner came down the steps looking completely surprised to see Meru sitting there. His mouth gaped open and he quickly rushed over to her side. " Meru... How have you been my dear, have you come back to work for me? Did your journey with those people go well? The mayor said that they were the dragoons, is that true?"

She sighed a tad as the man kept on talking. A year ago she would have been blabbing right on after him. However though she still could talk like no one else, she no longer felt the need to. 

Like what Albert had said to her, back when they all started going home again.

**Albert nodded considerately at her, " You have seen some awful things, but you realized that you no longer need to shout to show your importance. You have learned something Meru, from what you have been shown, and even if you have not realized this, it has made you a better person. "**

"So?" The owner said loudly.

"Oh yeah, they were the dragoons, I'm one too now you know! It was amazing we had to fight this supper evil dude on the moon when it fell. And this wingly named Lloyd was giving us some trouble but in the end he turned out all good and stuff." She rolled her eyes a bit. "Then Dart, the leader, became the Divine Dragoon and kicked Meblu, the real evil dude's ass." She paused for a moment to notice that everyone had crowed around her. "Then we had to fly really fast to get out before the moon exploded on us! When we got out both Rose and Zeig hadn't made it with us. So Dart was all really sad and stuff, we all were " Around her Meru found people gaping in awe at what she had just said. "However when we got back to Bale everyone threw a party for us, and a parade. After that we kinda said good bye and went back home..." When she finished they started to clap with a few cheers, and then the hole place become a ruckus.

She stood there at the middle of the crowd feeling somehow different yet excepted. Almost as if this was what it was like to be loved, by everyone. Then a thought struck her, It was almost to powerful of a thought for her to control. But it was an amazing thought, that it made her cry.

She felt people reach out and give her hugs, and for a moment she seemed to think about how odd it was to be loved... But the thought stuck with her, keeping her spirits up even as she thought about Rose and all the others who had died.

_What if.... What if everyone at home excepts me now? What if.... They love me too?_

Overwhelmed Meru began to cheer with the rest of the crowd. Her hopes and dreams, her wishes finally seeming to become real. Later she would look back upon this day, and consider it with love and hope. It was to be one of the happiest days of her long life.

A/N: This is my first story using html... So I hope it looks good! I've been looking around for a while to find a descent Meru/Guaraha fic however they don't seem to exist in any quantity. Anyway tell me what you think! Comments, suggestions, mistakes? Let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Dragoon, And in no way do i even hope to!

A Tale of Two Winglies

Chapter Two - Upon the Deep Blue Sea

Will you ever find my body?

Lying wasted at the bottom.

Dying in the Ocean,

Breathing with the fishes.

Meru snorted. She had tried so hard to laugh at the little girl's attics, but in the end it was impossible not to. For some reason, beyond Meru's understanding the girl was irresistibly funny.

Smiling at the elder girls giggles the red hared girl continued to push food into her mouth as if it was the last she would ever receive. After finishing what she had she rose to grab more food from the adjoining kitchens.

"Your daughter is really funny Commander Puler." Meru said smiling across the table at the Captain of the Queen Fury.

Puler nodded at her politely. "This is her first time upon the ocean, and she had show that she is more than capable of being a wise captain herself some day."

"Yeah, I bet she would be! Especially with a father like yourself." Meru said through her chicken.

Picking up his goblet he downed some of the bright red wine, gave her a kind nod and continued eating. His daughter sitting down in the chair next to him.

The meal ended that night in a subdued mood that left Meru sleepy. However before she headed back to her room inside the ship she took one last final stroll out across the open deck.

Allowing her hand to reach over the side of the ship, she washed it clean with the spray from below. Gently she rubbed the last little pieces of food off her hands. Looking up starts she watched as a pearly little light fell down to Endiness. Silently she made a wish that she would return home safely.

Meru wiped her hands off on the sides of her skirt. Her mouth let out a tired sigh, as her feet carried her back to her room she felt the boat lurch. Quickly catching her balance, she glanced around wondering how the large ship hand managed to do that on such a clear night.

"Miss Meru! You must get below deck as fast as you can!!" Shouted a young ship hand.

"Why, what's going on here?" She shouted back

"I've got no time, please just get down below!" He yelled back before hurrying up the stairs in front of her.

Confused she began to head back down to her room when another lurch hit the ship full on. She tripped and fell down onto her knees, and before she could stand back up again another lurch, much stronger than the last came, and knocked full on her side. She tried her best to get back up. However it was to no avail.

Suddenly, without warning Meru felt a wave of heat come over her. People below her were screaming. She managed to stand only to see a fire ripping though the doorways before her. Quickly she turned and ran.

Meru ran from the fire as fast as she could. And when she reached the edge of the deck all of her common sense had been removed. Her brain now reacted like that of a smart animal. Without a thought of her wingly heritage, she dove off the ship into the welcoming waters below.

Her body hit the icy cold water, the air was knocked out of her lunges and she struggled to reach the surface. But for every stroke she took, another foot under the ocean she fell. So it was that Meru fell till the waters turned back around her, and her lungs to tight to bear.

A thousand miles away Guaraha awoke from his sleep. Sweating harshly he coughed, and raggedly took in breath. His dream had been a nightmare. A nightmare of drowning at the bottom of the sea.

Standing up upon his two feet he walked to the bridge outside of his room. Looking out he could see the pond below. Shivering he looking into the icy cold and dark waters and headed back inside. Wondering what had brought him to dream of drowning. After all he hadn't though of his sister in years. He hadn't thought of her in centuries... 

So why would he dream his old nightmare.... Once again?

A/N: That little poem up there is mine. Good hun? I liked it, hope you did too! I know I left you on a bit of cliff hanger, but I think that now you'll see a bit more of what direction this plot is taking. I can tell you right now that the next chapter will be much, much longer. And I extra sorry about these short chapters... -.-;


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: You can't get me Mr. Cheese man!!! I don't own Legend of Dragoon!

A Tale of Two Winglies

Chapter one - A moment of home

A boy of about 15 looked down at the woman laying on the beach. She was dressed like that of a dancer, or something even worse. The sort of people his mother said were unclean. He wasn't to speak to _those_ sort of people. He wasn't to go near them.

However the girl who was laying there on the beach, not ten feet away, looked dead. Surly his mother would forgive him for going near one of those people if they were dead. She had to, after all the stars always spoke of forgiveness.

Slowly he walked toward the girl, at first he had though she was young, but now he could see that her hair was silver. But yet she looked so young! What an odd person, maybe the sea had turned her hair silver?

Keeling down by her side he reached for her hand. As he picked it up if felt cold, frozen almost... But even a dead person would be warm on a day like this, wouldn't they?

However he wouldn't know, he'd never touched a dead person...

Much to his surprise he could feel a steady pulse below her skin. "How could..." yet before he could finish the sentence he heard a yell behind him. Recognizing it instantly as his mother's, he turned to see her coming from the cliffs down the beach.

His body froze wondering what his mother would say. How she yell at him, call him a fool. Tell him he should go live the life his sister had chosen.

"What... What on Endiness are you doing with that.... That HORE??" She screamed at him, then reached down to pull him away. As she did the girl's hand fell from his hand and his mother froze. "You... Killed her?"

"Mother... Mother it's not what it looks!!" He yelled desperately.

"How could you?!! After what your OWN sister DID??!!" She raised her hand and slapped her son across the face.

He sat there stunned. He could believe his bad luck, what if she disowned him too? "Mother... She's... She was here... She washed up! Mother I only found her a minute ago I swear!!"

"How an I to believe you!? I saw you with that girl the other day!! Doing things children of your age should not do!" She backed away from her son. "You... You sinner! Let the stars banish you from my HOUSE! Your not my SON!!" And with those words she turned and walked away from the boy, and the scantly clad girl.

Guaraha sat by the window in the main kitchen. He hadn't been able to catch much after his nightmare. The Ancestor had always said that as winglies they had heightened sixth senses. Could someone he knew have drowned?

_ No, no of course not..._

Meru couldn't, she was the water dragoon after all. How could anyone that close to the water element drown? It had to be impossible, after all Dart was the fire dragoon and he had no problems with heat what so ever.

So if it was not Meru who could it be? Silkar perhaps? She had left the forest not long after Meru had reappeared. She had met briefly with the humans who were Meru's friends and made her dissection based off of them.

_ I was too much of a coward to understand..._

Guaraha wasn't the strongest wingly, he wasn't second strongest or even thrid. He was almost as weak as Meru herself was when it came to magic. However he had trained hard. Worked at his magic unlike most of the other winglies in the forest who found the use of magic pointless unless they needed to teleport or open doors.

He had come from a family which was second oldest in the forest. They had little power however because of the amount of in breeding he was sure had gone on. The line had gone from Melbu's Generals to doorway defenders.

Only because of the skill his father knew. Only the knowledge of magic had kept him at his family's post.

Besides, even if the winglies power was coming undone. They still had more that enough to bast random humans who might come through the doorway to smithereens. Not even skilled humans were much of a mach against a wingly who knew how to through a fire ball.

"You think to much Guaraha." Said Bardel who had just entered the front cavern.

"Stop reading my thoughts." He growled back at the older and still living of the two brothers.

"Don't think so hard then." He hissed over. "Besides it's my turn, active punishment remember."

"It's called active duty." _You snob!_

"Can still hear you!" He remarked with sarcasm.

"Good," and with that Guaraha marched out of the room and on to the teleporter. It bright green lights whisking him away from his own personal enemy.

Once back outside in the day light he headed back for his room to catch up on some of the sleep he had missed the other night.

Meru awoke to the strange sensation of cold. It was odd, because to her only a moment ago she had been burning. And now she was wet and cold and.... naked?

It took her a moment, but as she blinked away the sleep in her eyes she could clearly see herself laying on a red silk bed with black pillows. Underneath the covers she could defiantly tell that she was naked.

_ What the hell is going on? Damn someone's getting a beating!_

"Oh! Your up!" A tad to cheery voice said.

"What's going on here!?" She yelled a bit to forcefully at the twenty something year old human woman.

"Oh... Sorry, this was the only bed open. Hahaha, no need to worry though, nothing happened to you. My little brother make quite sure of that." She said cheerfully.

"Little... Brother? What?" Things were starting to come back, like her falling off the ship.

"Yes, he found you by the beach. And well in your outfit our mother got the wrong idea. So he took you here. It's my work place, so to speak. Hehehee, my mother's a bit on the religious side. She kicked me out of the house for wanting to have a boyfriend. That skewed my life over. Was yours the same way?"

"My mother?"

"Yeah, you know one of those perfection types that would rather die than be called a heathen. Kills the sinners and stuff." She said easly as if it meant nothing.

"No, she just didn't understand why I wanted to leave."

"I see, so where did you work?"

"Where did I work?" Meru asked thinking she knew what the girl met, but not to sure.

"Well your outfit spoke dancer, so where did you dance?"

"Oh, yeah I danced for a long time in Donau." She said wondering why she hadn't gotten some new clothes.

"The flower city? Wow you must have been popular." The girl said with admiration.

"It was my hair." Meru said wondering why she never dyed it.

"Oh, well with that color I'm sure you could have gone to Lohan."

"Yeah, guess so...."Meru glanced around the room again. "So where am I?"

"Fueno." The woman answered black.

Meru stared. _Fueno?_ _That's imposible, I wasn't even to the islands yet... I must have traveled... two hundred, three hundred miles.. Dear Soa...??_

And with that the silver hared girl fell back upon the bed to leave the woman staring in surprise.

A/N: *giggles* I got this chapter up to 1000 something words... Now if I just make every chapter bigger than the one before it I be well off! *fights off the shortness cult* I'm sure you all noticed, but this has gone PG 13, yeah so.... Well I don't know if anyone cares but yeah. ^.^;


	4. Chapter 4

Meru's feet drifted in the water below her, the salt water soaked them and cleaned them. Some of the tension she had been feeling, just drifted away with the water beneath her. It was nice to be able to rest like this, just let her thoughts fade. It made everything so simple, so blissful.

"Er..." She heard some behind her say. "I'm Colin..." Said the voice.

"Oh," She said spinning around to look. "So your the person who found me?"

"Yeah.... That's... That's right." He said.

"Thank you so much. I heard about your mother kicking you out of the house, I can talk to her if you want, she'd listen to me." Meru said with a kind smile.

"Um... No I really don't want to go back there. I can live with my sister till I get a job or something... I was wondering what your name was, you haven't told anyone."

"It's Meru. I could get you a job if you wanted. Or a house, I have lots of money you know." _Poor guy getting kicked out of his house for me..._

"Well I really don't want to trouble you, after all you really couldn't have too much money. I mean your a dancer and all..." He said, with a frown.

"Heehehee, No not really a dancer anymore. I one of the Dragoons you see, and the ship I was on, well something happened to it. I don't know what. But really it wouldn't be any trouble to get you a job and a house."

"What do you mean... A dragoon? But, but why didn't you fly or something, don't you have a glowing stone, to prove?" He stumbled along.

"Yes..." She pulled out the Dragoon Spirit from her side to show to him. "See?" For a moment he stood there looking at the glowing stone in her hands, then he walked over and watched it up close.

"You, weren't lying. I-I thought that... Well you don't really look like a warrior." He stammered.

It didn't take her more than a day to find the guy a job as a cleaner at a near by Inn. She found him a house about a week after that, it was a nice one. Not too big, he hadn't wanted anything to big, said it was greedy to live in a large house. Meru stayed for the day he moved into the house, but left the next day.

She had decided that the only way she could have gotten across 300 some miles of ocean was if the Spirit had protected her. She really hadn't expected it to do something like that.... But if it could, and that was why she had survived... Then she didn't mind, she was thankful.

Now as she set out from the growing village, she hoped to reach home before night fall. So she could see her parents, her friends and even that odd little fiancée of hers...

I wonder what Guaraha will think of me know? I'm a lot stronger, and stuff than I was even when I last saw him. Though it's not like he's changed at all, he's always the same old boring Guaraha. Hm....

Letting her thoughts change from subject to subject she continued to walk along the paths toward her village. The surrounding countryside was green and lush, like it always was after a good winter. This year was particularly nice too, Mille Seseau had gotten a lot of rain.

_ Kinda like the world is in renewal, after all the poison it just went through...._

Meru blinked and looked over a nearby monster that had been sneaking up on her. "Why do I always get so deep?" The monster stared at her then scampered away. "Aw man, how am I going to train if you guys are to frightened to fight me??"

"That's almost as disturbing as you being a wingly." Commented a snide voice from beside her. She swung around with her hammer already in hand only to find Bardel.

"Ugh, Bardel how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to think that your insane." He commented.

"Yeah, yeah as if you don't talk to yourself! .... Why are you outside the forest?" She asked wondering why Bardel would want to be in the human world.

"I was visiting my brother's grave thank you. Your little human friends should be happy that it was another Wingly that killed him." With that he started walking off.

"Wha? Your brother was killed by another wingly? You know who?" She asked hurrying after him.

"Yes, it was the rather nasty one that you dragoons were fighting, the one who took the Dragon Buster." He said happy. "I believe he died at the moon conflict."

"Oh Lloyd, yeah he was slightly confused... and well your brother is the one who attacked Wink." She commented.

"So, he's dead I'm happy." They turned another corner to see another monster who glanced at them, saw Meru and scampered off. "I think you said something about my little sister though. Those humans have been taken care of."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked curiously.

"Well, humans don't live forever... The last one died off a week ago of some heart thing. I was sure to attend his funeral... Since we can leave now." He shook his head and continued walking down the trail. "It's the end of us now you know."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes, those who leave are sure to go off and marry some stupid human, and that will destroy the blood. Heh, Meru your one action is going to be the end of winglies in just a few short millennia."

"It's for the best." She murmured. "Anyway isn't it nice to be able to leave?"

"I'd left the forest long before you ever did Meru, me and my brother knew lots of ways out. Your the only one who really wanted to make it public."

"Shove off. Besides, I don't have to stay out here and talk to you." She said confidently.

"Oh yes, I'm sure your quite anxious to go back an shove your life in Guaraha's face again." Meru stopped and stood there watching as Bardel continued walking onward.

"Oh and I'm sure your the one to know how he's feeling, seeing as your such great friends and all!?" She yelled at him.

"Oh..." He turned around and looked her full in the eyes, his own pair of ruby jewels glaring at her. "I don't need to be his friend to know that the entire time we got locked in detention together all he did was worry about how badly that dragon was going to chew you up. Then you left off for that moon with out more than a hello. He nearly want mad with worry, and then he had to start up with some dreadful nightmares... Thought that you'd drowned, or gotten killed." Bardel hissed out his teeth. "I may not be his friend, but I'm worried for the species, and I doubt I want someone like Guaraha running themselves off a cliff over a inbred dolt like you."

Bardel continued walking on, not turning around to even give Meru the slightest of worry. Something in her broke, and she turned and ran, ran right back along the paths. She ran till her legs got tired, and she had forgotten where she was.

Meru looked up to see where she had reached, and saw the place Dart had taken them once. His old home town, Neet. They had stopped at the destroyed and burned village once. They had stopped a lot of places before they had gone to the moon, this had been one of them. Dart had taken a moment at a monument in the center of the village, Rose too had bowed her head even though she was the one to destroy it.

_ Rose did really have a choice though... She had to or else we'd all have never have been born._

Meru's feet stumbled silently though the village, her eye glanced from burned house to burned house. Till she came across one, not to far from the monument. It was different from the others, it looked as if it had never been burned down at all. Meru could feel the same sensation she had felt in Velweb, when they had come to release the older dragoons. Inside of this place, was the soul of one to restless to die.

_ Wonder who is in here...._

A/N: ^.^ Yay! You asked me to get this up quick, and so I have! Hope this is up to normal standards, I did this chapter in about a day. I hope to be updating BAON and LOA very soon, so sorry about not updating them for a while but I have been busy with my three web sites. For all of you who have been to Prison Island I'm working on a new and better layout! It should be up and running by the end of this month, but I'll be sure to let you know. ^.^ Read and Review!


	5. Chapter 5

A Tale of Two Winglies

Chapter five - A book of Shadows

Carefully Meru brought her hand up to the door and knocked twice. From within she could hear someone slide a dish across a table. Then walk over to answer her summons, boots clicking across a wood floor.

Wingly hearing has it's perks. She noted calmly. From inside she could hear a lock go scrapping across it's bolt.

The door opened and a rather tall black hared woman, who peered out at her. For a moment Meru thought that it was Rose, however her eyes where far too different. Her clothes too were different even if they held the same colors of black and gold. "Hello" she said opening the door for Meru.

"Hi..." Meru stepped into the house to find it with a warm golden glow that came from a fire in the corner. The typical cozy house.

"Do I know of you?" She asked. "Or are you one of my husbands friends?"

Hm.... Wonder what her husband was like, if he had friends like myself over....

"Well you see, I was just looking around. I thought I should try to get to know some people around here. Your the first person I came across." Meru answered sweetly.

"Oh... Thank you for coming, I've been very bored since my husband and son left." She said sitting down at the dinner table and pushing out a chair for Meru with her foot. 

"Where are they?" She asked joining the woman in the seat.

"My husband is dead, and my son came and visited me not that long ago. I think he might be in Seles, that's where my friend lives. She'll take good care of him now that I'm dead." The woman looked over to see how unsurprised Meru was. "You knew?"

"Well yeah... I've had some experience with ghosts before." Meru sighed and watched the woman's face fall.

"I left the dark place when my son came to see me.... I wanted to see him again after he left, to tell him the truth... Then I was back here again, and I'll wait till he comes back here to see me again."

"Oh, who's you son... And your name I never got it." Meru asked.

"My son's name is Dart, and mine is Claire." She answered.

Meru looked over at her amazed. "Your Claire? Wow, I know Dart you see. He's told all of us about you." _In his quite Dart way._

"I thought you seemed familiar, you we're there when my son came to see me in the darkness." She smiled. "Do you think you could tell my son what he needs to know?"

"Oh yeah sure, I'll probably seem him in a few months anyway." She nodded.

"Thank you. You must tell him that the Dragons shall be reborn."

"From the Dragoon Spirits?" Meru quarried.

"Yes. Zieg, my husband, he studied all of this, and when all of the Dragoons are dead the dragons will be reborn."

"Oh, so why didn't they come back after the campaign?"

"Zieg was alive all of that time. He told me so himself, but even so there was the monster. She's a dragoon too. She has always been since the campaign." Claire nodded, then rubbed her hand across the table. "Zieg told me that even the King of Dragons shall be reborn, and he shall be more powerful than before."

"Oh, so when I go, considering that I'll most likely be the last to die. All of the Dragons will be reborn at once?"

"Yes, it is the same for all of the magic species. When the winglies die, and those whom take their spirit are dead, those winglies will be reborn. However for us humans there is no insurance, should we all die it would be the last of us."

"That's... Why would Soa do something like that?" _Slightly unfair oh Soa's part._

"Soa's will is hard to understand, but perhaps it means that humans will never die?" Claire glanced around the room and then went to a book on a shelf. "Zieg wrote this, he spent many years upon it. Everything is explained in here, you can have it. But you must take it to Dart, understand."

"Of course. When we have the reunion I'll be sure to take it and tell all of them... Us dragoons." Meru explained flipped through the book.

"Thank you, your such a sweet child. Tell Dart that I love him, and that I shall wait for him in the Darkness." Claire nodded and her body shimmered away into dust. Then the room to changed into a placed that was burned out and destroyed like the rest of the town. However the book in Meru's hands remained intact, even though it had obviously aged.

Quietly she slipped out of the house and back outside, she looked at the book for several minutes, then started to stroll back up the path towards the Village, Bardel completely forgotten.

I'm going to have to make a copy of this and translate it into wingly before I give it to Dart, this thing is way extensive. I mean it's covering the God of Destruction, the Black monster, Dragoon magic, wingly magic and human magic. I mean how deep can you go, for crying out loud it even talks about Soa and stuff.... Hm... Albert's going to want a copy too. In fact anyone would, this thing is like the key to equation.

Meru looked up and glanced around to see if anyone was around.

Can't let anybody get their hands on this before I can get it copied or to Dart. Man... Bardel would kill for this, but then again so would Guaraha...

Quickly Meru dispelled the book into another plain, like that of the one for the souls. She'd summon it back once inside her room. It wasn't likely that anyone would ask her about the book, but just in case, you know.

Guaraha stood talking to Kelina when the barrier opened up, Bardel came marching in looking almost to smug. "Hello Guaraha." He said cheerfully. "Nice day for chasing off brats isn't it?" And then continued down the path way.

"He's so weird, and demented." Kelina commented. "You should kick his ass Guaraha."

"What? I'd get into more trouble, I don't need any of that." He responded.

"Oh sure. Well I'll see..." She glanced towards the barrier to see another figure coming through.

Meru stepped lightly into the wingly world, she glanced around trying to straighten out her vision. The green lighted portal was far to bright. "Meru?!" Two voices called out at her from the left. Shifting around she looked up to see not only Guaraha but also Kelina come racing down at her.

"Are you alright? Where have you been? Did the humans treat you well?" They asked.

"Whoa!" She said waving her hands in front of her as if fending them off. "I find okay!" Then suddenly almost out of no where she felt the two of them slam into her, and give her one tight hug.

Yep, people defiantly love me here too. Except for Mr. Nasty.

A/n: So what did you think? Didn't guess that it was Claire did ja? Haha haa, anyway Meru's back home now and see can relax and translate that book of hers. I'm sure however that you can guess what happened to it though. Anyway Review and have a nice day! ^.^ 


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: Ah yes another wonderful chapter presented by me! Hope you all enjoy! 

A Tale of Two Winglies

Chapter Six

Meru laughed as Guaraha watched her, he was still a little on the shocked side to see her again. So was about everyone. Some people had figured that she had gone of and gotten kill, which was the most popular rumor, the other was that she hated them and didn't want to come home. Meru quickly put all these rumors to rest. Just the other night she had basically told everyone what had happened. 

She was still tired from that little story. She had sadly made it so long that her mouth and throat hurt. Guaraha was still trying to get small details out of her, but she was okay with that.

Her mother and father had both shown up almost as soon as she had entered and carted her off to go speak with the Ancestor. Who wanted a full report of how things went, and if she would be willing to speak to the people of Deningrad about the winglies joining them. She had excepted on the condition that Guaraha come with her. He had agreed rather quickly, in her opinion.

"So...... Do you have any friends in Deningrad?" Asked Kelina, who was sitting in one of the tree branches. 

"A few, Miranda the lady in white with the golden hair, is one of the Sacred Sisters... So she's really important." Meru pulled at the bow in her hair to tighten it. "You know I think I should grab a new out fit or something while we're there."

"You mean that isn't popular with the humans?" Guaraha asked slightly amazed, compared with the other girls who had been with Meru she had been the skimpiest dressed, but no one seemed to care.

"Well you know if I'm going to be a diplomat then I do need some sort of proper outfit. This thing just doesn't really go...." She smiled and shrugged not too sure she wanted her friends to know that she had been working as a dancer. Even if she was a good one.... 

"Man.... I have to go get packed! I coming too you know!" Kelina said, before dashing off. Guaraha let out a sigh as she left. 

"I'd better go to..." He said, not too thrilled about the expedition. 

*** 

Meru swung her pack over her shoulders and motioned for Guaraha and Kelina to follow. It was odd, how things just kept getting better and better. Life had never been so easy, or good to her. Before no one had agreed, now everyone follow. 

Even Guaraha was starting to understand. She laughed out loud, which cause the other two to ask her what it was. "I'm just happy." She said. "Just happy that things are changing." And Meru walked out and through the portal to the outside world. 

Guaraha and Kelina followed her right behind. It was ever so slightly different out there. The air was warmer, the trees had a different look, the path was worn. But perhaps the most startling thing for Guaraha was the absence of buildings, the strange mushroom like places in which he had lived all of his life were gone. The path beneath his feet wasn't the strange metallic gravel, but real dirt. 

His eyes glanced up at Meru's. She gave him a friendly little shrug and pulled them both forward. "Come on you two! We don't wanna waste all day starring at the ground!" 

"Oh... right..." Kelina mumbled, as she was pulled forward by Meru. 

They stayed on the main path all day. However they didn't get to Deningrad. Kelina thought that they could have reached it if they flew. Meru told her off, and said if she didn't want to freak anyone out they didn't want to do that. 

The most exciting part of the day was the monsters they ran into. Neither of them had much experience with monsters, in the forest there had never really been any. However Meru easily pounded them with her hammer, and in only a few swings they always died. She did let Guaraha and Kelina rack some fire balls up against them, just for practice. 

"We'll spend the night here. Since it's summer we don't have anything to worry about.... I think Deningrad is another day away, but we are going way slower than I did with the Dragoons.... Uh, anyway get some sleep you guys will need it." And with that she wrapped the sleeping bag around her. 

"Meru?" Asked Kelina clearly freaked out. "What about those monsters? Wont they sneak up on us in our sleep??!!" 

"Naw! I have my Dragoon Spirit out. They see that and run the other way." She held up the softly glowing stone. 

"So why didn't you have that out while we we're walking?" Asked Guaraha a little frustrated. 

"Oh.... Well you guys need the training." And with those words Meru shut her eyes. 

"But?!" 

"Shhhh! I wanna sleep!" 

Kelina sat there not to convinced that the monsters would stay away. Guaraha looked at her and then blinked. "Kelina, those are real stars I'm looking at." 

"Wha..." She looked up and smiled. She had never seen real stars before. They sky in the forest had always been.... Been fake. But now, for the first time was looking at real stars, real clouds, real moons... "Oh..." And with that she laid back on her sleeping bag. 

"Goodnight." 

"Night..." Though the thought of the monsters still loomed over Guaraha's head. He didn't really mind the fact that his eyes where shutting. It was nice to know that maybe this human world was a lot more wonderful than he was expecting.... Even if it was far to large. 

A/n: So??? What did you all thing of that chapter?! So sorry about the wait you had to go though to get this! It was Harry's fault, I stayed up all night reading that book. And was too tried to write. Really peeved that I did stay up to read it too. Wont say why tho, for all of you who worry about spoilers. *nods* 

I did get to see Fruits Basket tho!! IT'S SO CUTE!!!!! I LIKE HARU!!! I LIKE HARU!!!! ^.^ 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Don't own Legend of Dragoon, have a nice day! 

A Tale of Two Winglies

Chapter Seven - In a World of Crystal

The little group reached Deningrad on their fourth day out. Meru leading them into the large city, which had been towering over the path for the last few hours. It was nearing even and the crystals in the place where glowing a faint pink from the setting sun. Only a few people still loomed on the streets, most of them merchants and men going home from their work. Meru proudly turn around and spoke. "Well come to Deningrad! We'll be staying at an inn tonight!" 

Kelina smiled and nodded at Guaraha who gave her a nod back. He faintly noticed that a few shop keepers where watching him from their little windows and doors, but the people on the street gave they almost no notice. Meru let them out towards the place for some distance before they came to a newly rebuild place. It was made from a mixture of dark oak and crystal, with a pair of little steel windows. Guaraha was fairly sure that the building included the set of rooms above it, however he could not be sure. 

They entered the room through the main door, and Meru easily walked over to the desk just off to the left. She smiled at the elder woman who was running the desk and asked for a pair of rooms. 

"Your Meru, one of Miranda's friends!" The woman suddenly cried out as she handed Meru the key. "Oh it's so nice to meet you. Are these your friends?" She quarried. 

"Oh, yes! This is Kelina and the one with the bandana is Guaraha. Their both from my village you see." 

"Oh really? So I was wondering, is it true what Miss Wink told me, bout you being a wingly?"

"Yeah, sure is. How is Wink doing anyway?"

"Oh just fine, she's been stay at the place since last month, she's recovered quite well. Though I think she might be a tad on the heart broken side. She really had a thing for the man who kidnapped our Queen. Oh it's a pity." The woman rambled on. 

Kelina glanced over at Guaraha and gave him a slight shrug. _She a little noisy.... _She spoke to him in his head.

_I'd say so, she's very out going. I hope not all humans are this way. _

_ Yeah really._

A moment latter Meru dashed over by them gave Guaraha a key and lead them up a set of stairs. "This used to be a healing room. But that place moved after the destruction and the inn made this into some rooms." She paused at a room, with a symbol handing on a nail. "Here is your room Guaraha, me and Kelina are going to be staying right over here." She said, pointing at another door. "Lock your door too." She smiled, and pulled Kelina over to the other room which she unlocked and entered.

Guaraha sighed and opened the room. Wondering how different the human beds would be. 

***

Meru had taken them out to eat that morning, at a small bar on the east side of the city. The food there was not actually human though. Surprised at what he was seeing Guaraha asked what was going on.

"Oh, well..." She paused as a hand came to rest on her shoulder. 

"Meru! Darling it's been to long!" Cried a silver haired woman. Guaraha and Kelina exchanged looks. "And to think you grabbed some friends of yours! Stole em out of the forest did ja?!" 

"Oh yes! Mercury, this is Guaraha and Kelina. Mercury is a run away from a wingly village in the north near Velweb. Really nice place too, visited it a few years ago." 

"It used to be really strict too, but that kind of fell out over the years." She said taking a seat next to Meru. "Oh wait! I still haven't gotten your orders!" Quickly she stood up, apologizing to them all. 

***  


Guaraha had to admit that the meal had been far better than any he had eaten before. Kelina had full heartily agree with him. Meru had shrugged and then towed them deeper into the city. 

She only stopped when the crystal palace loomed right there before them. "You remember Miranda right Guaraha. Course you do, this is where she lives." She pause as if considering that this statement might be slightly wrong, then continued. "She's not the only person here of course, a lot of the maids and the knighthood live here too. So does her sisters and the queen." 

"Oh..." Kelina said. "Hard to think that my accentors could have build anything like this..." She spoke with amazement in her voice. 

"Yeah... Well anyway come on you too!" She gave a nod to the man guarding the door, he gave her a quick smile and then pushed it open for her. Slowly they followed her inside. 

The inside of the palace had changed since Meru had last been there. No longer was there any fallen crystal or blood on the walls. The front staircase had been redone to have three sets of steps going up, each one branching off to a different room on the floor level. The center on lead to a room with four pairs of statues, one how was instantly recognizable as Miranda herself. Continuing up another set of stairs, they reached the second level, with split of into four different rooms. The final set of stairs in front of them had to lead to the throne room. 

At the top of the stairs there was a large set of wonderfully carved doors, Meru could recognize it as the same style she had seen in the church. It was a very ornately carved Divine Tree, and by the looks of it, no one had told the artist what the tree looked like. 

She sigh wondering how much of a fuss Miranda had thrown on the subject before shoving the doors open. 

The room inside was still the same from back when Meru had first seen it, only completely restored from the attack. She could easily see Wink and Setie chatting away in one corner off to the right, Queen Theresea speaking with a guard from her thrown. 

"Meru?" A voice called out from her left, she turned to find the blind Luanna. 

"Luanna! Nice to see you again!" She said walking over to the woman. 

"You brought friends? From your forest?" She asked. 

"Correct as always. Guaraha is the guy and Kelina is the girl. This is Luanna, Second Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau." 

Kelina politely stepped forward, "It's nice to meet...." However she was instantly interrupted by a loud voice from behind her. 

"Meru! How dare you sneak past me, you know how long it's been since I've seen anyone?!" Miranda growled over at her. 

"Hehee. Yeah, guys this is Miranda she's the White Dragoon. You_ should _ignore her." Meru said laughingly. 

"Meru!" Came another voice, this time from Wink. "Miranda's been all worried about you, everyone has, ever since the Queen Fury went missing, they said that they found huge chunks of metal on the shore in Furni, they though that it must have blown up!" Wink pause waiting for Meru's reply. 

"Yeah, it did kind of blow up. Not to sure what happened, but I'm fine really. I mean water is my element!" She smiled and watched as everyone's faces want blank. 

"You never told me about that." Guaraha commented. 

"Well I didn't want to freak you out." She said hastily. 

"You could at least have sent a note to someone. You should have seen the letter I got from Albert and Emille. They we're worried sick about you, and then the one I got from Zior!" Miranda lamented, before running a hand through her hair. "But it's nice to know that your safe." 

"Wow. Miranda do you have a fever?!" Meru chimed. 

"Wha...?" Suddenly Meru was right there in front of her, placing her arm on Miranda's forehead. 

"Amazing." Meru commented. "You don't! Wow, and you said something nice to me too!" 

A sudden laughter burst out from the Queen where she sat upon her throne, it wasn't long before it had spread to all those present, Meru found herself giggling along. Happy once again in her life. 

A/N: Hm, Fun chapter to write though I don't like the part at the end too much, seems like such an overused joke. Oh well. ^.^ My birthday is on the 16th so I thought that I should try to update some stuff before it as a present to you all! Reviewies much appreciated! 


	8. Chapter 8

A Tale of Two Winglies

Meru awoke to the blissful sound of snoring once again. Although Kelina was a great friend to her, the girl was very loud at night. She was half tempted to just spend the extra money and get herself a room away from the beast. However it did seem a little pointless.

Kelina awoke almost as soon a Meru got up however, so the sounds were left far behind. She yawned, stretching her arms out. "Meru?" She asked sleepily.

"Yeah?" Meru asked back. 

"I think I'm going to stay here and work with Mercury, it's nice here and all. I don't really want to go that far from the forest... And well, you know." She said with a shrug. 

"You mean your leaving us?" 

"Well technically your leaving me, unless your going to stay here in Deningrad... Too?" She wondered.

"No, I'm leaving Guaraha can come or go. I want to go to Bale, visit Albert, go to Seles and see Dart and Shana. I kinda miss them you see." She said then shook her head. "Well better get packed!" She dashed out along the hallway till she reached her room, she'd never have guessed that Kelina would leave them, but in some strange way it made complete sense. 

She lightly knocked at Guaraha's room, and only a moment later it was opened. She had a strange suspicion that he had been waiting for her. 

He smiled at her warmly and spoke, "Good morning Meru." Almost right after that he ran a nervous hand through his hair. 

"Morning! Kelina just told me that she's going to stay here in Deningrad... I'm going south towards Bale so if you wanna come you should get packed." 

"Alright." Somehow he seemed unsurprised by Kelina choice, she wondered for a moment if Kelina had told him before herself. 

"Okay, so your coming too... Right?" 

"I'd follow you anywhere Meru, you know that now don't you?" 

"Um.... Yeah, so uh.... Get packed?" She asked feeling blood rushing to her head. 

"Sure...." 

Yet another moment of silence.... 

"See you in a bit then..." She finished before fleeing the scene. 

*** 

Kelina stood with her door still open watching as Meru walked quickly away from Guaraha. He gave her a small almost sly smile. 

She walked over to him once Meru was down the hallway and out of sight. "I think that went well." 

"Thanks for staying behind, I promise to visit and to tell all the cute guys I meet about you." 

She rubbed her hands together and smiled at him. "I know!" So they both stood there a moment laughing. "Well you better get packed!" 

"No fears, already done so." He shrugged his shoulders at her. 

"Well no surprise there I assume, well I should be going to my new job... So goodbye?" 

"For a while." He lifted his arms to give her a fair well hug when a man came tearing into Kelina. She slid to the ground, the man tumbling underneath her. 

In less than an instant he jumped back to his feet pulling her with him. "So sorry madam... MISS KELINA!" He yelled, Guaraha recognizing him as one of the guards at the palace. 

"Ugg... Yes...?" She said rubbing part of her leg which had become one with the floor. 

"The Lady Meru! Where is she this is urgent!" He yelled. 

"Down the hallway." Guaraha responded pointing. "Why?" 

"I'm sorry but it's for her ears only!" He said rushing down to the corner and then flying round. 

"What a stupid human... Now my leg is bleeding!" She hissed after him, as Guaraha helped her into his room. 

"Yeah... I wonder what he had to tell her so quickly about?" Guaraha asked in confusion, grabbing some cloth out of his bag and handing it to her. 

She glared at him with a sense of purpose. "Why don't you go find out, since I'm so indisposed." 

"Alright." He spoke eyeing her uneasily as he walked from the room and down the hallway. 

*** 

Meru had been folding an old shirt of hers when a man had come bursting through the door. Her first instinct had been to nock him over the head, but when she recognized him as a soldier of Mille Seseau... Something else came to mind. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, not so sure how her tone sounded. 

"Miss.. Meru! I came straight for the castle to give this to you! Lady Miranda told me it was of the utmost importance!" He handed her the letter and stepped back quickly. 

For a dull moment she looked at it, and then opened the letter. Not really knowing that she was opening something that would ruin her life, cause her pain, and force her to loose her love. 

_ Meru,_

_Yesterday afternoon Bale was attacked. We just received word asking for reinforcements. Please come to the castle as soon as possible it is of all urgency, you are being asked by Albert under the code of the Dragoon Knight._

_Queen __Theresea_

Meru looked down at the letter in her hands. She shook her head wondering if she really wanted to go to the castle. Maybe she didn't wish to find out what had happened to Bale... And to Albert.. 

_Silly, you HAVE to go! _And with that in her mind she rushed out of the room and down the hallway. She paused next to Guaraha, and handed him the letter, he would have to understand what was going on. She nodded at him, and then continued running towards the crystal palace. 

AN: I haven't updated this in a really long time, hun? Yeah okay throw sticks and stones all you want cause I technically had everything but the last paragraph done. ^.^; Okay! So review and I'll try write more on this! Really I will! 


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